


tea, coffee, dinner?

by scribblingnellie



Category: BBC Sherlock, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Coffee, F/M, Greg knows how Molly takes her tea, Nervousness, Romantic Fluff, Short & Sweet, Tea, asking Molly for a date, nervous Greg, sassy Molly, will he or won't he?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-02-13 23:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2169144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblingnellie/pseuds/scribblingnellie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Greg Lestrade's going to do it.. he's going to ask Molly Hooper out for dinner. If he can just get up the courage and keep his nerve.  And if a certain consulting detective keeps his nose out of it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	tea, coffee, dinner?

1.

Little bit of milk and no sugar.

Greg knew exactly how Molly took her tea. He'd been bringing her one each time he'd visited the morgue for the past two weeks. It was partly because he was stalling. Gathering up his courage, he'd pop into the coffee shop across the way from Barts; they made much nicer tea and coffee than the staff canteen. As he waited for the order – one English Breakfast, one flat white - Greg would run through what he wanted to say in his head.

_Hi Molly. Would you like to have dinner?… Hey Molly, fancy dinner one night?... There's this great little restaurant down on the South Bank, if you'd like to go?..._

What he actually ended up saying was nothing of the sort - 'Hi Molly. Thought you might like a tea while I was there' or something along those lines. Greg was sure she was going to start thinking something was up. He had to do it. Today. He'd definitely ask her today.

And his heart stopped a few times at the thought.  
  


2.

And there she was. Stood by the window, file clutched to her chest, staring out. She was beautiful. Greg stopped. In those few seconds before Molly heard the sound of the lab door opening and turned her head to him, he was mesmerised.

'Greg, hi!' And her mouth curved up into that stunning smile of hers when she saw him standing in the doorway.

'Hey Molly. I'm here for the Bleeding Heart Yard body report. Oh,' he added, holding the cups up, 'and morning tea, too.'

'You shouldn't have. And yes, I know I say that everytime, but..'

'It's not a problem.' Joining her by the window, Greg offered her the cup of tea, 'I think this is the tea… anyway, you forget to make it when you're busy, so just keeping an eye on you.'

Snapping the lid off, Molly smiled at him, holding her nose over the steam rising from the cup. 'Mmm, yes, definitely the tea. Thank you. You're such a good friend.'

'That's, um… that's ok.'

And the words Greg had rehearsed in the coffee shop failed him. Good friend?  
  


3.

Could he do it? Or would he just bottle it like every other time? As Molly shuffled all the papers back into the folder, Greg tried to convince himself he could. Surely a fifty year old experienced police inspector could manage to ask a woman out.

'I think it's all there.' Molly passed him the file.

'Great. Thanks for going through it, makes much more sense when you do.'

'That's quite alright.'

'Well, better get back.' Good friend? She just thought of him as a friend. Though looking on the positive side, at least she liked him. 'Molly...'

'Yes?'

'Can I, um... can I ask you something?'

'Of course.' Smiling, Molly tilted her head curiously.

Such a gorgeous smile. Right, enough practicing in his head, time to just do it. Greg took a deep breath.

'Just wanted to ask if you'd, um, like to have...'

'Ah, Molly, there you are!'

Damn it. The one voice he didn't want to hear right then. Sherlock Holmes strolled into the lab, door thudding closed behind him. Greg stepped away from Molly, clearing his throat, trying to gather himself back together. Of course, none of which went unnoticed.

'What's going on, Lestrade? What are you up to?'  
  


4.

'The Italian restaurant on the corner is quite good. Apparently.'

'What?'

'As a first date. No?' Sighing dramatically, Sherlock plonked himself down onto the stool. 'Lestrade, I had assumed you would've asked Molly out by now, but you're obviously in need of assistance…'

'Bloody hell.' Greg definitely didn't need dating help from him.

'Just trying to help.'

'Well, you're not.' The moment was ruined. No point in staying now the consulting detective had blundered in. Greg grabbed his coat. 'Listen, Molly, I've gotta go. I'll, um, I'll call you, ok?'

But then her hand was on his arm and his heart jumped at her touch.

'Sherlock, leave.' Her eyes met Greg's. And he felt his heart stop and start a few times. She was throwing Sherlock out?

'Leave?'

'Yes. Now.' As Molly turned her head to look at him, Sherlock rather quickly got off the stool, snatching up his slides.

'Right, yes. I'll just be, um, going...' His voice trailed off as he scooped up his coat and scuttled away.

As the door closed with a swish, the lab was quiet again. And they were alone. Molly's hand settled into his, squeezing softly.

'Sorry about that, Greg. '

A tiny bit of hope crept into his mind. 'That's ok. Thank you. I, um...'

'You wanted to ask me something?'  
  


5.

What did he want to ask her? He'd had it, right there in his head, all perfectly rehearsed and ready to go.

'I, um, I wanted to ask...'

Gently squeezing his hand, Molly's gorgeous brown eyes were on him. Greg knew this was it.

'Just if you'd like to have dinner with me.' Pause. Silence. 'I... I mean if you want to, it's ok if you don't...'

And he was rambling, he couldn't help it. Standing so close to the lovely, intelligent pathologist who'd taken him so by surprise, nerves kicked in. She didn't want to, did she? Why else would she be silent? And just as he started to worry he'd made a complete fool of himself, her fingers reached up and touched his cheek.

'I'd love to.'

'Seriously?'

A soft laugh and she was smiling 'Of course. A handsome policeman in need of a bit of looking after? I can't resist.'

And Greg knew he was blushing; she was flirting with him.

'Are you sure, Molly?'

'Yes.'

'Ok...'

He'd done it. He'd actually asked her out and she'd said yes. Her lips were still curved up in her gorgeous smile and he was grinning back, heart leaping about like mad.

'Sorry. Just feeling, um, relieved.'

'Oh Greg, you are wonderful!'

And her quick kiss on his cheek took him completely by surprise.

*****

 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published as a multi fic - with 5 quick short chapters - on my fanfiction.net page, I've published it here as a one chapter story. Basically a story full of sweet, awkward Greg and pure fluff. Many thanks for reading!


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